According Gregorian Calender which most of us use the world over, today is the death anniversary of my beloved mother. Accoding to our taradional Calender, the anniversary occurs on a different date. I fondly remember my mother.

Hanumaan Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This is the day on which Hanumaan, the greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam, was born, millions of years back, during Trethaa Yug.

Following image is that of a handcrafted doll of Hanumaanji carrying Lord Shree Raam and his younger brother Lakshman on his shoulders. This doll is made by craftsfolk in a village known as Kondapalli, near Vijayawada, a city in Telengana, India. Almost all villagers in this wonderful area are occupied in doll making as their livelihood. If you like to buy any of their dolls, instead of buying it online through Amazon or any other media, kindly visit the area yourself and buy from the craftsfolk themselves. This will prevent third party profiteering at the cost of these village folks. 

Ukrain crisis and criminals in disguise

For the past few months, we have known rather too well as to the ill effects of the conflict in Ukrain. One of the bad effects is the presence of single men rascals who abuse women in all obscene ways by pretending to protect them. Thanks to Aljazeera, today it exposed such rascals in one of it's programs.

Human meddling with Nature

In countries such as India, every one knows as to how forests and greenery have been destroyed and being replaced by concrete buildings because of the vulgar greed for money by builders and people who want to own houses by hook or crook.

Such people should learn lessons from the media. Though much of media are trash, there are exceptions that do offer good programmes. One such program was telecast this evening in Aljazeera, one of my favourite TV Channels. The experience of Mr Kisilu as shown in the program is worth viewing.

Traditional New Year

Today is an important day in many states such as Kerala and Tamilnadu in India as it marks the beginning of the traditional new year.  This day is also celebrated by people in many countries including Cambodia, Laos and Thailand due to strong historic ties between India and these countries, which were all together, known as a single country "Bhaarath versh"; it was a large area from present day Afghanistan to present day Indonesia.

Shree Raam's Ayodhyaa

Today being Ekaadashi, I liked to give priority to Shree Mahaa Vishnu centric TV programs. In this respect, I derived joy in viewing Pujyashree Bhupendra Pandyaji's discourse on Valmiki Raamaayan on Sanskar TV Channel. 

In his discourse, Pandyaji described as to how glorious was Shree Raam's Ayodhya and it's governance. He quoted the verse "Yudhdham ashakthyaa Ayodhyaa" meaning that Aypdhya could not be weakened by any war. 

He mentioned the role of the committee of Sages and the committee of Ministers in the King's governance. 

It is unfortunate that none of our school social studies textbooks mention these facts. It is high time that our textbook publishers and curriculum developers stop praising 'Lord' McCauley etc. and begin introducing good aspects of Ancient India so that at least the future generation would be freed from nasty westetn influences and be aware of our lofty Indian values.

From this point of view, I think that Jawaharlal Nehru, our first Prime Minister, did a very good thing by writing 'Discovery of India'. I remember my having read the book for the first time when I was in middle school. I got the book as first prize in an interschool elocution competion in English on Children's day (14 November which is the birth anniversary of Mr Nehru). In 1988, a televised version known as 'Bharath ek khoj' was telecast as serial in many languages in our National channels. It was a very popular serial directed by legendary Shyam Benegal with legendary actors such as Om Puri and Roshan Seth.

This evening, Ashta Bhajan channel telecast a divine discourse on Bhagavath Kathaa by Shree Gangadevji Maharaj from Jammu where he has his aashram. I tried to provide a link to any reliable information about him via Google Search, but in vain.

Valuable speeches

Like many senior citizens, I like listening to lectures by eminent speakers who are also good people. One such is Dr Gururaj Karjagi. This evening as I was listening to one his valuable lectures on Utube (Thanks to Sundar Pitchai and his team ay Google), he said, "The footpaths of values are identified in hindsight". A very thought provoking statement.

(His lecture reminded me of something which happened when I was a 32 years old youngster about to get married. My mother told me that they were looking for an appropriate woman for me to get married and that who ever comes as my wife, I should see positive aspects and not the negative ones, so that my married life would be happy and whereby my parents could lead a tension free life that is associated with bad marriages of children). 

I was being introduced to great speakers like Dr Karjagi, as I used to watch my late beloved parents, especially my beloved mother, listening to them.

Shree Raam Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu almanac. This is the day on which Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Shree Raam and born to King Dasarathaa and Queen Kowsalyaa in Ayodhyaa, millions of years back. This day marks the end of Shree Raama Navaraathri and is celebrated as Shree Raama Navami. In many temples including the famous Seethaa Raamaswamy temple at Bhadrachalam, Devine Wedding of the Couple and Coronation of Shree Raam as King, are also celebrated.  I fondly remember my beloved mother who used to view Shree Raama Navami celebrations at this temple via TV, every year ofcourse after offering worship to Lord Shree Raam and Shree Seetha Devi.

The following image is a doll of our Divine Father Lord Shree Raam with his wife and our Devine Mother Shree Seethaa Devi.

Festive bells seem to ring stronger this year than ever before on many TV Channels, thanks to the efforts of our beloved Prime Minister and his team.

(When I appreciate Shree Modi and his team, I do not mean that his people and party are free of corruption. As in every community, there are good and bad people. When BJP came to power first, there was a BJP MP by name Ram Jethmalani. He was a popular advocate at the Supreme Court. He got one of the Indira Gandhi's assassins acquitted and let him free. From that time onwards, my respect for Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was Prime Minister at that time and who appointed this rascal advocate as Minister, came to an end.

Congress party may be more corrupt than BJP. But still, it does have corruption free MPs, for example, Shree A K Antony.

I have worked in Kerala and Gujarat when A K Antony and Narendra Modi were chief ministers respectively, and I know as to how their governing was corruption free).

On this Shree Raama Navami day, my memory takes me to Rustenburgh, a large town in South Africa. My good friend Kishore Ambaram, who had a garments shop there, took me for a Bhoomi Pooja celebration organised by the local Gujatathi community. It was pleasant and surprising that whenever these people, young and old, met with each other they always greeted saying "Raam Raam" and not "Hi", "How are you?", "Good morning" etc.

This came as an answer to my long time doubt as to why youngsters of Indian origin who belong to Tamil and Telugu parentage were not fluent in their mother tongue and traditions, unlike South African youth of Gujarathi origin and parentage. I think that people of my generation in such Tamil and Telugu communities have not passed their mother tongue and traditions on to their children properly.

Dittakavi Seshaacharyulu

As Vaishnavite devotees celeberate Shree Raama Navarathri and as I try viewing as many TV programs on Lord Shree Raam, I fondly remember Shree Seshacharyulu, about whom I have written in my earlier posts.

He was my collegaue at a school in Vijayawada, India, many years back. An excellently disciplined gentleman and a very well qualified scholar in Sanskrit, he and his brothers are taking care of a nice Shree Raam temple in Ibrahimpatnam, a few kilometers outside Vijayawada. 

During my professional career, whenever I had to assess teahching skills of teachers, I had always done it with confidence, except when assessing Shree Seshaachaaryulu's classes, for two reasons: My knowledge of Sanskrit was not sufficient enough and Shree Seshaachaaryulu was an exceptionally excellent Sanskrit teacher. In fact his classes sounded more like a Vishnu temple than a classroom. 

I think that it is because of good people like him our world retains some goodness even today when evils are growing.

The Divine Fish

Today is an auspicious day to Hindus. This is the anniversary of Shree Mahaa Vishnu's first incarnation on Earth as 'Matsyaa' millions and millions of years back.

Traditional New Year"s Day

Today marks the beginning of traditional new year to many Indians. It is celeberated in many states in India and abroad. In Southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh, it is observed as Ugaadhi. In Maharashtra, it is celebrated as Gudi Padwa. People like me, whose ancestors migrated to Southern India from Maharashtra, celebrate today as Ugaadhi.

This day marks the beginning of Shree Raama Navaraathri (meaming 'Nine Devine Nights of Lord Shree Raam'). At the end of these nine days/nights, is the day popularly known as Shree Raama Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Shree Raam (an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu) millions of years back in today's Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in India.

The following image is a handcrafted doll of Lord Shree Raam, His wife Seetha Devi, His brother Shree Lakshman, with Hanumaan, the greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam, offering his worship to his master.

Divine discourses

It was joy to listen to Shree Suki Sivam's lecture on Sanaathana Dharma with particular reference to the three main yogaas of relevance to devotees of the Almighty. As usual, he explained the concepts with simple examples that are easily understandable by lay people. Thanks to Sri Sankara  TV Channel for it's program 'Bhakti Utsavam' whereby eminent scholars and communicators such as Shree Suki Sivam and Shree Velukkudi Krishnan give valuable divine discourses.

I tried to provide link to Shree Sukam's website (www.sukisivam.com) but it didn't come through. Hence I used another resource.  I hope that you like it.